Discover, Master, Influence 1

How ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

Jeremy ThakeSenior Consultant, Readifyhttp://bit.ly/JTHAKERATE

Agenda

• Introduction• How ASP.NET Developers can leverage it• Why Use It?• Misconceptions• The issues around leveraging it• Limitations of OOTB areas• When to stick with ASP.NET• Summary

INTRODUCTIONHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

KEY DRIVERS FOR ASP.NET DEVELOPERS

• Fast– Compiling– IDE– Performance

• Can handle Complex Scenarios• Easy to debug• Easy to learn

– Simple API– Lots of learning resources

INTRODUCTION

• Awareness• People hate it• “It’s not open source”• Frameworks

– Over engineered– Dependencies

• Developers like to write it themselves– Feel out of control

WHAT IS IT

HOW YOU CAN LEVERAGE ITHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHAT YOU NEED

• Windows Server• Visual Studio 2005/8• SQL Server Express/Std/Ent 2005/8

WHY USE IT?How ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• WSS is free!• Most Enterprises own MOSS• Common User Interface• Common Framework• Common Data Layer• Common Disaster Recovery

WHY USE IT?

• Leverages already existing knowledge of ASP.NET– IIS Web Applications and Application Pools– Web.Config– Visual Studio IDE (C#/VB.NET)– Master Pages– Page Layouts– Web Parts– User Controls– Site Themes– XHTML/JavaScript/CSS

DEMO: CREATING WEB APPSHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• Framework– Security– Component based– Logging– Persistence– Architecture– Extension– File storage– Audiences (MOSS)

DEMO: FEATURESHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• SharePoint Lists– CRUD– Metadata– Versioning– Item Security– Views– Event Handlers– Workflow– Search– Recycle Bin– Custom Field Controls– Incoming email

DEMO: VIRTUAL FILE SYSTEMHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• Web Parts– Web Part Zones– Customisation– Personalisation

DEMO: WEB PARTSHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• Deployment– Deploys to all server roles in Farm– Deploys all dependent files– Web.config changes

DEMO: SOLUTION PACKAGESHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY USE IT?

• MOSS– Web Content Management– Documents Management– Records Management– Business Data Catalogue– Excel Services– InfoPath Form Services– Enterprise Search– My Sites

MISCONCEPTIONS OF SHAREPOINTHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

MISCONCEPTIONS OF SHAREPOINT

• Debugging is hard• Deployment is bad• Skinning is hard• GAC only• It's expensive• No client side validation• No support for AJAX and 3.5• Hard to migrate existing ASP.NET sites

DEMO: EXISTING ASP.NET SITESHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

ISSUES AROUND LEVERAGING SHAREPOINT

How ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

ISSUES AROUND LEVERAGING SHAREPOINT

• Server developer environment • Complex framework• WSS has its limits• Troubleshooting Security errors tough• CAML is hard to learn• .NET Object Model is a COM wrapper• Right and wrong way to build Test & Production• (Accessibility)

LIMITATIONS OF OUT OF THE BOX AREAS

How ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

LIMITATIONS OF OUT OF THE BOX AREAS

• WCM– Not intuitive enough for Authors– It all can be done...but needs more effort– Remember MCMS?– www.WesternAustralia.com.au web casts

• Wikis• Blogs• Records Management• For more see my ‘Leveraging the SharePoint Platform’ series

WHEN TO STICK WITH ASP.NETHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

WHY TO STICK WITH ASP.NET

• Client environment development• Configuring server is straight forward• Less Complexity (Junior Devs)• ASP.NET 4.0 coming• Larger community• Data Access Layer• Full control over user interface• Lots of other WCMS products out there

SUMMARYHow ASP.NET Developers can leverage SharePoint

SUMMARY

• It’s an extension of what you already know• SharePoint is not going away

– Microsoft Server Products moving to Platform– Microsoft see it as a Development Platform

• Do it if you’re going to need the features• Don’t do it if you’re not going to utilise it

– Can always be ported in later

Discover, Master, Influence 33

http://bit.ly/JTHAKERATEhttp://wss.made4the.net @jthake

http://www.SharePointDevWiki.com @SPDevWikihttp://www.sharepointusers.org/Perth/

http://www.readify.net/rdn/